Mop



Patented Nov. 12, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MOP Alexander B. Semple, Louisville, Ky.

Application December 29, 1932, Serial No. 649,263

2 Claims.

This invention relates to mops of the type having a member or device to which the fibers of the mop are secured and by which a threaded receptacle or socket is provided for detachably receiving the threaded end of a mop handle.

The principal objects of this invention are to produce a device of this character with a form so simple in structure as to require a minimum of material and to render its manufacture both easy and inexpensive; and to provide one which requires no material change in the methods and apparatus now generally employed in manufacturing mops and which renders the interior of the mop adjacent the socket accessible for cleaning purposes.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan View of the device;

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Figures 3 and 4: are sections through the device at right angles to each other showing the relation of the mop fibers at one stage of the manufacture of the mop; and

Figure 5 is a view partly in section and elevation showing the relation of the device to the mop fibers of a completed mop.

In accordance with my invention, a strand of material preferably metal in the form of a stiff round wire, is helically bent to form a cylinder as indicated at I, and thereby provide a socket 2. Inasmuch as this socket is adapted to receive the threaded end of a mop handle, the helical strands forming the cylinder are spaced apart so as to provide, in the walls of the cylinder, a helical groove into which the threads of a handle extend when the handle is screwed into the socket. At some point along the socket, and preferably at the handle-receiving end thereof, the wire delimiting substantially opposed portions of the socket, is looped laterally outward from its regular or helical path to form substantially opposed arms 3 which preferably extend at right angles to the axis thereof. I have found that the appearance of a completed mop may be enhanced somewhat by pinching or otherwise causing the inner ends of the arms 3 to extend more closely to each other as shown in Figure 1.

With the device in this form the mop may be manufactured in any suitable manner. Preferably this is done by screwing the device onto the threaded end of a mop handle 4 and holding the handle in position such that the device extends more or less centrally within an annular series of mop fibers 5 with its axis parallel to the fibers as shown in Figures 3 and 4. The fibers 5 on one side of the arms 3-the right side in the of the socket 2 are now drawn inwardly to the handle 4 by a binding cord 6 which is wrapped around the fibers and, after being tightened, is secured in any suitable manner. The fibers extending over the handle are then folded outwardly over the device so as to lie over the remaining fibers of the mop. In other words, the fibers are doubled to form a loop at the handlereceiving end of the socket wherein the looped portions are held by the binding cord 6 which passes through the loops. All of the fibers may now be held by a binding cord 7 which is tightly drawn and secured over the device on the other side of the arms 3. In this manner, the mop fibers 5 are clamped to the device on opposite sides of the arms 3. The free ends of the mop fibers may now be out and the mop unscrewed from the handled as shown in Figure 5.

As mentioned previously, the inner ends of the arms 3 are pinched together or otherwise made narrow. This brings the opposed fibers along the inner end of each arm closer together and thereby makes the opening defined by the fibers ofocircular form, which greatly enhances the appearance of the mop.

It will now be evident that the mop-holding device herein described, can be quickly, easily and cheaply manufactured with a minimum of material and without requiring any material or expensive change in manufacturing methods and apparatus now employed. Furthermore the spaces between the helical strands of the socket render the adjacent portions of the mop fibers accessible to an extent which permits such portions to be cleaned easily and thoroughly when desired.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A mop fiber-holding device comprising a strand of stiff wire helically bent to provide a handle-receiving threaded cylindrical socket, the wire delimiting substantially opposed portions of the body of said socket being looped so as to extend outwardly from and thence back into its helical path in the body of the socket to provide substantially opposed mop fiber-holding arms.

2. A mop fiber-holding device comprising a single strand of stifi wire helically bent to provide a handle-receiving threaded cylindrical socket, the wire delimiting substantially opposed portions of the body of said socket adjacent the handle-receiving end thereof being looped so as to extend outwardly from and thence back into its helical path in the body of said socket to provide substantially opposed mop fiber-holding arms.

ALEXANDER B. SEMPLE.

arrangement shownadjacent the receiving end 7 

